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Patented Deg; l3, I898.

C. A. BROWN.

PAINT AGITATUR.

(Application flied Aug. 13, 1698.)

(No Model.)

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7 NITED p STATES PATENT FFICE.

CHARLES A. BROWVN, OF ST. LOUIS, -MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOUND CITYPAINT AND COLOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PAINT-AGITATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,052, dated December13, 1898.

Application filed August 13, 1898. Serial No. 688,509. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Paint-Agitators, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in agitators for mixing paintsdesigned for use in what is known asthe dipping process, in whicharticles are coated with paint by immersion instead of having the paintapplied by a brush.

I am aware that in paint-agitators it is not new to use a revolvingscrew or other beater located at the bottom of the tank in which itoperates, and that it is also old to place aguardordiaphragmdirectlyabovethisbeater, so that tools or the objectimmersed cannot come in contact with the agitating heater or screw; butin the use of such agitators it has been found in practice that when theheater 2 5 remains at rest for any considerable time as, for instance,over nightthat the heavier ingredients in the paint,owing to theirgreater specific gravity, accumulate in the bottom of the receptacle andfirmly embed in a more or less compact mass the said heater or screw.

This makes it difficult and sometimes impossible to start the agitatorwhen power is again applied. To overcome this objectionable feature isthe object of my invention.

Figure I is a vertical cross-section of a tank or receptacle providedwith my improvement. Fig. II is an enlarged view of the bottom thereof.Fig. III is a detail perspective View of a portion of a hinged platformor diaphragm. Fig. IV is also a detail perspective view of a series oftroughs which are placed in the tank below the diaphragm shown in Fig.III.

1 designates a tank for the reception of paint, into which objectsdesired to have a coating of paint applied thereto may be immersed,while the paint is kept constantly agitated to render its solutionuniform. The tank is preferably provided with a curved bottom 2, inwhich an agitator or beater 3 is located. The beater is carried by ashaft 4,

driven by any suitable power.

5 designates ledges on the inner sides of the tank-Wall above the lineof the agitator or beater-,whieh ledges are adapted to support the endsof bars 6.

7 are troughs attached to the bars 6 and extending, preferably, from endto end of the tank. A portion of the troughs 7 are located above thebars 6, and a portion of them are suspended therefrom. The troughs abovethe bars are seated a considerable distance apart, leaving spacesbetween them, and those above the bars occupy positions immediatelybeneath the spaces between the upper set of troughs. This arrangementprovides spaces for the passage of the thinner paint past the troughs 7,owing to the spaces between them, while the staggered arrangement of thetroughs forms a guard to prevent objects immersed in the paint fromdescending into contact with the agitator.

In one of the side walls of the tank are eyes 8, located at a greaterelevation than the troughs 7. These eyes receive links 9, that in turnare connected to one of a series of slats 10. The slats 10 are arrangedside by side with, preferably, narrow interstices between them and forma platform sufficient to extend across the interior of the tank andconnected together by transverse bars 11.

The links 9 form an essential feature in my apparatus. When the platformcomposed of the slats 10 is lowered into position to receive the settling paintwhile the agitator is at rest, the link-hinges permit the seatingof the platform in such manner as to effectually catch all the heavypigment and prevent its descent to the heaters to clog them. Then whenthe platform is raised the links allow the hinge edge of the platform tobe pulled away from the side wall of the tank, leaving a space betweenthe tank-wall and platform through which the settled pigment on theplatform falls as the platform is raised. It will be readily perceivedthat were the hingejoint of the platform simply a pivotal one a pocketbetween the platform and tank-wall would be formed, in which the heavypaint would be confined and held when the platform was elevated and inwhich it would re main in a compact mass.

- 12 is a chain secured to the free side of the platform, by means ofwhich it may be raised into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig.I.

The advantages obtained by using the platform constructed of the bars 10are manifest in that it practically prevents any of the heavy matter orsediment of the paint from settling in the bottom of the tank andsurrounding the heaters 3. This heavy matter settles when the agitatoris not in use on the said platform, and this platform when the operationof the apparatus is to be resumed is drawn up against the side of thetank by means of the chain 12, allowing the heavy matter to be churnedor mixed on the operation of the beaters which send the thinnersubstance up through the spaces between the troughs 7.

I am aware, as hereinbefore mentioned, that it is not new, per se, tolocate a guard in a paint-agitator tank to prevent objects from strikingagainst the beater therein; also, that it has heretofore been proposedto locate a guard above the heater to catch the settling heavy pigmentwhen the beater is at rest. I therefore do not claim a guard consideredalone; but I claim it to be novel to use a guard with a movable platformsurmounting said guard. I do not limit my invention to such platformbeing hinged to the tank, as it may be otherwise suitably mountedtherein.

I claim as my invention 1. In a paint-agitator,the combination with atank, of a beater mounted in the lower portion thereof, a guard in saidtank above said beater, and a movable platform arranged above saidguard, substantially as described.

2. In a paint-agitatonthe combination with a tank, of a beater mountedin the lower portion thereof, an open-work guard in said tank above saidbeater, and a platform hinged to the wall of said tank above said guard,substantially as described.

3. In a paint-agitator,the combination with a tank, of a beater mountedin the lower portion thereof, an open-work guard in said tank above saidheater, a platform hinged to said tank above said heater, and means forraising said platform, substantially as described.

4. In a pain t-agitator,the combination with a tank, of a heater mountedin the lower por tion thereof,an open-Work guard in said tank above saidbeater, a platform adapted to seat in said tank above said guard, andlinks conmeeting said platform to said tank, substantially as described.

5. In apaint-agitator,tl1e combination with a tank, of a heater locatedin the lower portion thereof, an open -work guard located above saidbeater, and a platform seated in said tank above said guard, saidplatform being composed of slats, said slats being separated from eachother by interstices of less width than the interstices between the barsof said open-work guard, substantially as described.

OHARLES A. BROWN. In presence of-- E. S. KNIGHT, STANLEY STONER.

